In South Africa, a divorce decree is a legal document which proves that your marriage has been officially dissolved. It enables previously married individuals to re-marry. Also known as a divorce judgment, this court document lays out the court’s final orders regarding all the issues in the divorce—such as maintenance, property division, and child custody—and both spouses are legally bound to its term. Should you wish to marry again outside of South Africa, this document may be requested by an authority in the country you wish to marry as confirmation that you are no longer married.
If you need to produce divorce decree as evidence of the divorce to any foreign authority or institution, it is likely that this document will need an apostille certificate before you can use it in an official capacity abroad. Apostille is an additional authentication, required for international acceptance of legal public documents. It is dated, numbered and registered. The Hague Convention of 1961 put in place the apostille certificate as a means of legalisation for various types of documents, including divorce decree.
An apostille is needed on a divorce decree from South Africa to prove the authenticity of the document. The apostille can be issued within 1-2 days of application. It is beneficial if you frequently travel abroad, wish to re-marry or need it for personal business. Members of the Hague Convention will accept your divorce decree without further certification by the embassy.
Get your Divorce decree apostille in as little as 3 to 5 working days.
In South Africa, apostille certificate can be affixed on original document or on a notarised copy. Therefore, the document must be presented in good condition, with all stamps and signatures clear and readable. Additionally, the documents must be free of alien markings or labels.
Certain documents, such as police clearance certificates must be recent for obvious reasons. This may also apply to marriage certificates and other documents representing a current status of the people represented in the certificate.
